


Anything You Can Do

by m_gilastorm, miranda_gilastorm (m_gilastorm)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Racing, Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-06 01:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13400667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m_gilastorm/pseuds/m_gilastorm, https://archiveofourown.org/users/m_gilastorm/pseuds/miranda_gilastorm
Summary: Poe and Rey race to decide who has to answer the other's questions. And of course to decide who actually IS the better pilot.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ginnyhazard](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Ginnyhazard).



> For Kirby, who likes to keep me writing <3 I'm pretty sure this isn't what you asked for but it's what you're getting LOL 
> 
> Love you!

Poe couldn't stop thinking about her. He'd watched Finn rush to her and embrace her like she was closer than a sister. But that image of her with her hand outstretched and the rocks hovering all around her as she single-handedly rescued what was left of their resistance... He couldn't get that image out of his head.

BB-8 rolled right up to her, beeping excitedly about the new antennae Poe had attached just hours earlier. Rey leaned down to the droid, admiring the new parts and patting him gently on his dome. The sight made his stomach flip. BB-8 chirped and beeped, turning to see him. He walked over to her, hand extended.

"Hi."

"Hi," she stood and eyed his hand curiously before taking it.

"I'm Poe."

"I'm Rey."

"I know." He couldn't think about the way she chewed on her lip or the small smile she gave him. It was too much. Someone called for him and he could hear Chewbacca calling for her from the cockpit. She raised her brows at him and dashed off to pilot the _Falcon_. BB-8 wheeled into his leg to get his attention beeping suggestively.

"Shut up, buddy."  
  


* * *

Next time he saw her was a few days later. They were refueling on a remote planet with as many of the rebels hidden in the _Falcon_ 's smuggling crevices and compartments as would fit. No one was happy with the situation, but no one would dare complain to the Jedi or Wookie, so Poe took the brunt of it. The weary faces of his fellow soldiers worried him enough to seek Rey out. She was outside, leaning against the ramp leading back into the _Falcon_ , never far from the ship that she had inherited. She turned before he had a chance to make it down the ramp.

"You're worried about something." She wasn't asking a question. Her hazel eyes searched his face for a moment. "I needed to get off the ship for a moment, even if it was just to see another desert." She gestured toward the planet they were refueling on. "Too many worried people in a small space. I didn't realize how many feelings that would be. It's overwhelming."

"You can feel it?" A small part of Poe was relieved. He still had nightmares of Ren trying to force information from his mind. This was different. Rey nodded, avoiding his gaze.

"I guess I didn't realize how sensitive I was to it all until I was around so many people. I can sense it, like it kind of buzzes in the air around each person. Too many people and it gets too loud." She stared out at the sands stretching out from the small spaceport settlement they'd put in to. "Are you going to tell me?"

"What?"

"What you want to tell me. What you're worried about. Are you going to tell me?" Poe opened his mouth to deny anything was wrong, but they were interrupted by the undeniable roar of pod engines igniting. The sound sputtered and died and Rey pushed herself off the ramp to investigate the source. A shop not far from the spaceport was attempting to demonstrate two small racers to a large furry customer. Rey grinned and made her way over. Poe watched her go, considering for a moment how many of his friends were in the _Falcon_ , until he heard the Wookie respond to the shop owner.

"Chewbacca," he muttered under his breath, making his way to follow her. She was already engaged in translating for the Wookie to the pale Twi'lek shopkeeper when he walked up to eye the racers that were at the front of what he guess was supposed to be a shipyard, but looked much more like a junkyard. They were smaller than any pod racers he'd ever seen, almost the size of speeders. He'd bet on them. They definitely looked pretty damn fast.

"He's not interested in the racers. He just needs parts for our ship." Rey sounded different than Poe had heard her before, more like the scavenger Finn had told him about. _Too many people_ , she had said. Hadn't Finn said she'd lived the last however many years by herself on Jakku? No wonder she didn't know she was sensitive to feelings. Poe's chest ached at the thought.

"The racers don't even run properly! Give us the parts we need and we'll go." Chewbacca made a noise in agreement. Poe moved over to stand behind the two of them, watching the scene unfold. The shop owner's lekku twitched. He was afraid to keep the racers.

"They're stolen, Rey." She turned to face him, her face unreadable. He thought maybe he saw slight smirk before she she whirled on the shopkeep to push the edge he'd given her.

"New deal, you give us the parts we need and cover our refuel over at the spaceport, and we'll smuggle the racers wherever you need them to go. Or," he noticed a slight wave of her hand, "if you just want to be rid of them, we'll take them off your hands in exchange for a month's supply of rations."

The shop owner nodded and muttered something Poe couldn't make out. Rey nodded and Chewbacca gathered up the parts off the counter, stomping past them back to the ship. She turned to him with a smile and he felt his stomach flip.

"Thank you for the help. Although now we're going to have to figure out what to do with two broken pod racers and a month's worth of rations." He looked over at the racers as the shopkeeper called to Rey in Twi'leki to exchange the credits for the fuel and direct her to the rations. _Damn_. He was barely able to get a word out to her before she was always off again.

He crouched down to wondered why they wouldn't run. A small piece attached to the chassis caught his attention. It was a different metal than the rest of the pod racer. Probably meant to prevent theft. He glanced around the shop, looking for something to remove the small object. A dinged-up vibroblade caught his attention. He grabbed it and attempted to leverage the little device off. It popped off surprisingly easy and dropped into his hand. He moved to the second racer and did the same, to the same effect, only snapping the piece-of-junk vibroblade in the process.

Rey returned with the shop owner and a cart-full of rations behind them. She gave him a questioning glance and he stood to reach into the racer and begin the ignition sequence. The engine roared to life, no sputtering this time. She gave him a satisfied smile, turning to the shopkeeper, whose lekku twitched in annoyance, and offering her hand to signal their business was concluded. He took her hand before waving them off and walking back around to where he and Rey had just returned from. She tapped the console on the cart of rations and it moved toward the spaceport, where the _Millennium Falcon_ and the resistance was waiting.

She grinned at him and hopped into the racer opposite him, triggering the ignition and glowing with her own exhilaration. Poe threw her a cocky smirk, situating himself in the seat of the second racer. He shouted over the noise of the vehicles at her.

"One circuit?" Rey bit her lip mischievously, clearly wanting to take up the offer.

"What do I get if I win?" She _would_ make it a challenge. Poe considered, making a face.

"You beat me," he motioned to himself with grandeur, "the best pilot in the galaxy, and I will tell you what I was worried about before." Rey scoffed, raising her brows at him. "And if I win - which I will - you have to tell me whether or not you used the Force to work out this deal." Rey pursed her lips as she debated.

"You're on," she shouted, throwing herself back in the seat and letting her engine growl menacingly. She cast a sideways glance over at Poe and winked before gunning it. He barely had time to process how his insides fluttered, before instinct took over and he was chasing her racer out of the settlement. She was _good_. She could take turns and corners that made his heart race just watching her. Before he knew it, they were both covered in sand, with the racers parked at the _Falcon_ 's ramp and he'd lost to Rey by a good four seconds. Chewbacca hollered at them as they made their way back to the cockpit for a conversation he owed her, even though she'd cheated.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey need a rematch. Finn is not pleased at getting dragged into their antics.

Settling on Yavin IV was a project, and updating the equipment to establish a new resistance base was worse. But being home was worth it. Still, it had probably been a month since Poe had raced with Rey and at least two weeks since they'd exchanged more than a "hey". Leia had warned him that she may not take to Yavin so well. Something about how strong the Force was on the planet, with the Temple and then the Force tree his parents had planted, it could be overwhelming. Maybe he should check on her.

"Hey, Poe!" Finn's voice carried up to the X-Wing he and BB-8 were inspecting. They'd managed to get another squadron's worth of T-80s. Now they had ships, just needed the pilots. He hopped down off the ship and his droid whirred pleasantly.

"Hey buddy. How's Rose?" Finn's face lit up at the mention of the mechanic. Poe was happy for the two of them.

"She's better. Still resting most of the time, but definitely getting better." Poe clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"That's great to hear, man. I'm happy for the two of you." Finn beamed again.

"Speaking of happy, have you seen Rey? She said something about meditating yesterday and no one seems to have seen her since." Poe ignored the feeling of panic that pressed on his chest at Finn's question.

"No, I haven't seen her, but I grew up here. I might know a few places she would go to meditate." He jogged off to the _Falcon_ , leaving BB-8 with his friend, heading to where the two racers were stored. He figured it would be a quick way to get out to any of the places she likely was. His first guess was near the tree by his parents' old farm. Finn shouted something after him as he sped off, but he couldn't quite catch it over the noise of the engine. She wasn't at the tree that had flourished under his father's care, but he knew there was a lake with an island nearby that wouldn't be hard to reach. If she was searching for quiet and privacy, that would be an ideal place for training, meditation, or just getting away.

He steered the racer toward the lake, kicking up the speed to navigate over the water. Spray flew out behind him as he spotted the small island and circled it, hoping for a glimpse of Rey.

Sure enough, she was there, on top of a hill sitting cross-legged and _levitating._ He wasn't sure how to disturb her, but the sight itself was breathtaking. The energy radiating from her was soothing and peaceful. Poe was hesitant to approach her, she was beautiful and powerful and he could stay and watch her like this for hours.

He stepped closer and noticed a shift in the aura surrounding her and something cold and empty washed over him. Rey's lips moved as if she was speaking to someone. He swore he recognized the feeling that was threatening the balance that she'd been basking in only moments before. Poe inched closer still and could hear her words.

_You made your choice. You chose the darkness. I choose balance, peace._

_I will never join you, Ben. I have no desire to rule this galaxy. And as soon as I can break this bond between us, I assure you, I will._

Poe's eyes widened. _Ben._ She was talking to Kylo Ren. He crossed the distance between them with determination. If Finn was right and she'd been here in this state for over a day, she must have been deliberately trying to break the connection.

The emptiness was fading and he wondered if maybe the invasive presence of Ren was going with it. Her body lowered to the hill she'd been hovering over, and he vaguely felt as though he'd just emerged from underwater. He could hear birds and the lake lapping against the shore of the island. He hadn't even noticed how stifled the air was until the noises returned.

"Poe?" Rey leveraged herself to her feet using her staff. He moved to offer his shoulder, which she gratefully accepted. "What are you doing here?"

"Finn sent me. Said you haven't been back for over a day. I grew up on this planet, so I figured I'd know the best places a Jedi could go to meditate." She flashed an exhausted half-smile, leaning heavily on his shoulder.

"I guess I lost track of time," she eyed him warily, and he was acutely aware of how close she was while he was supporting her as they moved toward the racer. Her training must have taken most of the fight out of her, but she still was hesitant. "How much did you hear?"

"Nothing we need to talk about if you don't want to." Poe met her stare as she pulled him to a stop.

"You know." It wasn't a question. Somehow, it felt like an accusation.

"Rey, I can't pretend I know the first thing about the Force or bonds or whatever, but I know you. I know you've faced down more than most of us in the Resistance and, not only come out on top, but become a singularly impressive person in just about every possible way. What else is there to know?" She was quiet and he tugged slightly to get her moving toward the racer again. She stared at her feet and the sand as they shuffled over it.

"One of the pod racers? Really?" Rey raised her brows at him at the sight of it, a glimmer in her eyes he couldn't quite read. Poe shrugged, letting her down against the vehicle. She watched, leaning against the racer and holding onto her staff, as he began the ignition sequence. He hopped in and flashed her a grin, trying to lighten the mood between them.

"You want to go back with me? Or should I just let Finn know you're alright?" She glared at him and the racer, deliberating, before rolling her eyes and motioning for him to squeeze over.

"And miss and chance to ride with the best pilot in the galaxy?" She shouted over the roar of the racer's engine. "Yeah right." Poe did his best to hide the flush that crept up his neck at her flattery, but when she tossed her weapon into the pod behind him and lowered herself gracefully into the small space next to him, there was no hope for him. As she sat, what strength she'd been saving seemed to release and she relaxed into his side as he focused his thoughts on _not crashing_ while navigating the racer back toward the temple that served as their base. The structure loomed into view, and Rey sat back up as they drew nearer. He missed the feeling of her leaning into him as soon as it was gone.

The racer skid to a halt in front of the ramp of the _Falcon_ , eliciting another questioning glare from Rey. He just shrugged, lifting himself out of the seat and jumping down to the hangar floor a bit harder than he'd intended. Before he could move to help her down, she leaped out of the racer far more gracefully than he'd managed. In fact, it was a display of strength that showed a suspiciously rapid recovery. She muttered her thanks and he nodded, crossing his arms and leaning against the racer as he watched her grab her staff and make her way up the _Falcon_ 's ramp. As if she could feel his gaze, she turned.

"Something bothering you, Commander?"

"Are you going to tell me?" She narrowed her eyes, and he knew she would take the bait.

"Is this going to end in another race, Dameron? Because I beat you soundly last time." The corners of her mouth twitched in a smirk that made his stomach flip.

"You only won because you cheated." He grinned, running a hand through his hair. "In a fair race, there's no way you'd beat me." Rey scoffed.

"Cheated? Just because you have the _title_ of best pilot in the galaxy doesn't mean you can't be beaten, Commander." She smirked at him again, taking the few steps back down the ramp of her ship. "I guess I will just have to beat you again and take the title for myself."

"Well," he gestured to the X-Wings he and BB-8 had been inspecting earlier, "we have all these new ships that could use testing out..." He was about to challenge her to their rematch when Finn's voice echoed out over the hangar.

"Rey!" BB-8's beeps could be heard following their friend, rolling after the quick steps as they both made their way over to the pod racer Poe and Rey were facing off at. Rey's face glowed at the sight of her best friend and Poe couldn't help the little twinge of jealousy that stabbed at him as the two embraced. "I'm so glad you're okay. You had us all worried! Don't go off like that again."

Rey laughed, pulling away from Finn's hug to give Poe an exasperated look. "I promise, no more overnight meditation trips on my own. Next time I'll take someone to keep watch if I think it might take longer than a few hours, okay?" Finn seemed appeased, nodding. BB-8 bumped into Rey's leg, demanding her attention. She bent down, rubbing the droid fondly, listening to his questioning beeps.

"No, no! Poe and I were just about to agree on the terms of a race. I promise, we weren't fighting." Happy beeps followed, reflecting in her relieved smile. Poe took the opportunity his loyal droid gave him.

"Speaking of our race! No cheating this time! Finn," he turned to their startled friend, who clearly did not want dragged into whatever competition was going on between the two of them, "we need someone to signal the start so Rey doesn't take a head start this time." Rey gave him a scandalized glare and scoffed, but didn't bother refuting it. Finn sighed and leaned his head back, rolling his neck.

"Fine," he dragged out the word, "I guess I'll play referee to your crazy race. Do I want to know the stakes?" Poe glanced over at Rey and could almost imagine he saw her blushing. It had to be his imagination, right? Poe shrugged as nonchalantly as he could muster.

"My title,' best pilot in the galaxy'." Finn rolled his eyes, starting to walk away.

"Come on, BB-8, let's let these hair-brained pilots get ready for their race." He turned back to Poe and Rey. "We'll be at the hangar entrance when you're ready to go on your death-defying race." They both watched him walk away for a moment before Rey quietly spoke up.

"So what are the real stakes this time?" Poe turned to meet her steady gaze, shaking his head.

"I named the stakes of the last race. It's your turn." He didn't want to push for anything about what he'd heard or cross any lines. It was safer this way. She hummed in thought.

"Alright. If you win, and keep the title of 'best pilot in the galaxy', I will tell you the whole story of what happened since my meditation yesterday. And if I win - and claim the title - you have to tell me why you really almost crashed the pod racer into the _Falcon_." Poe could feel his face simultaneously paling and flushing and it was an uncomfortable experience. He cleared his throat, trying to gather his thoughts. Rey just held his gaze with that same steady stare.

"Seems fair enough," he motioned toward the X-Wings. "Should we agree on a course?" Rey smiled and chewed her lip before nodding. The course they decided on was nothing overly dangerous. Poe was mindful of the fact that Rey had never flown an X-Wing and he was secretly hoping that would give him a bit of an edge. He was fairly certain she was the better pilot, but the racing was more fun than admitting it. He helped her into the X-Wing, gave her a brief run-down of the controls, which apparently was unnecessary, as she took to it as naturally as she did everything else.

Settled into his own ship, they were ready. He was determined to win this time, especially because there was no way he was going to tell her he nearly crashed the kriffing racer because she was sitting so close to him it was distracting. He'd just have to race her instead. Because that's apparently how mature adults deal with feelings. Finn was there at the hangar entrance, waiting for them to pull their X-Wings up next to each other. Rey had a pilot's helmet pulled over her head and Poe put on his own, turning on the comm.

_How are you holding up over there, Rey?_

_I'm ready if you are, Dameron._

_Let's go, then._ He could see her flash him a smile from her cockpit and he was glad she couldn't see him blush. Finn lifted a mechanic's rag and they both started their flight sequence, waiting for the drop.

The rag flapped toward the ground and both X-Wings sped out of the hangar on the course they had agreed on. They had both left their comms open, so he could hear her open laughter at the thrill of flying the smaller and more maneuverable ship.

_A bit different from that freighter you're used to flying, isn't it?_

_Hey! Don't insult the_ Falcon _, or maybe next time you need her, she won't save your ass._ He chuckled. Rey and the _Falcon_ had saved him at least twice.

 _Fair enough. But can she pull off maneuvers like this?_ He pulled up into a loop over Rey to fall behind her, leading to a game of who-can-get-behind-who, to see who could get into targeting position of the other. He lost that around the second curve of their course. When they were rounding his parents' farm, he remembered why he wanted to win and decided to actually try. Rey must have sensed his shift. She took curves sharper than he did, still could take more risks than he dared. But he knew the planet, and the ships, better than she did. They blasted past the temple one final time, rounding to the hangar, neck and neck, but Poe tipped his ship under hers so he could come in first, flying lower than she would have thought safe.

As he docked a millisecond before her, he jumped out of his cockpit, not sure how she would react to being beaten. She leaped out of her own ship, helmet still on and face unreadable, but Finn rushed over before either of them said a word to the other.

"That was some of the best flying I have ever seen! Rey, I thought for sure you had him! And then, Poe, you just slipped right in at the last second like that! And some of the chasing and targeting maneuvers you guys were doing? I've never seen anything like it! You two make one hell of a team!" Rey tugged her helmet off, with her bun coming loose with it so her hair was falling around her face. She smiled shyly.

"Thanks Finn, but this one was all Poe. I was following his lead. And he won fair and square this time." Poe gave her a grateful smile and ran his hand through his hair.

"So I guess you get to keep your title after all," Finn clapped him on the shoulder. Rey and Poe both laughed.

"Yeah I guess I do. Thanks buddy." BB-8 whirred at his feet and he bent down to accept his droid's congratulations as well, rubbing the dome. Rey moved to Finn and Poe could hear her ask gently about Rose. Poe stood and he and BB-8 wandered over to the X-Wings to do some post-flight checks, not wanting to intrude.

"You know, that was a cheap trick you pulled to win." Rey leaned on the lower wing of the ship he was looking over. He threw her a cocky smile.

"Almost as cheap as starting the race before you were ready?"

"Almost." She smiled at him and he felt unusually warm in the Yavinese humidity. "Don't think I don't know you did it just to avoid talking about earlier, Poe. But fair's fair and I guess I owe you a story." There was no hiding the flush that crept up his neck and Rey grinned, ducking under the wing to stand next to him and loop her arm through his so she could tug him across the hangar to the _Falcon_.

"Rey, you really don't have to talk about what happened before." He glanced over at her as she pulled him by his arm up the ramp to her ship. She worried at her lip, not meeting his gaze. He couldn't help but think of the smiles she'd given him, chewing on her lip.

"No, it's okay. Besides, I can't wait to see your face when you realize I was faking needing help after coming out of my meditations."

"What? Why?" Rey laughed at his even deeper blush and pulled him the rest of the way through her ship, to the cockpit, which seemed to be where they did most of their talking. She planted a light kiss on his cheek, rendering him fully speechless. His mind couldn't form coherent thoughts, so he just stood there, staring at her in shock.

"Because it was easier than talking about what you'd heard, and then it let me lean in close to you in the racer without having to say anything." She shrugged, sitting down in the pilot's chair. "And that's the second time I've woken up from refusing Ben - Kylo Ren - and you've been right there, looking at me like - like I can't even describe. I wouldn't have thought much of it if you hadn't been practically _radiating_ admiration on the island, and then something else in the racer, and jealousy at my affection toward Finn. You should be more mindful of your feelings. They may not be as private as you think." She was blushing now, he realized, and the fog from the light kiss she'd given him was slowly wearing off enough for him to process what she was saying.

"For the record, I wasn't jealous," Poe rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously, dropping himself down into the copilot's seat, grimacing at his own defensiveness. Rey _hmph_ ed out a laugh, and he dared to meet her stare that he could still feel causing his flush to deepen.

"Whatever you say, Commander." Her hazel eyes bored through him and he knew that, despite how pure and carefree she seemed sometimes, she was still as mysterious and powerful as the Jedi of legend. "But I was meditating to try and break the connection between Ben and myself. I had found this absolute balance and peace in the Force, before the bond took over again. I don't know how dangerous it will be in the future or if it'll ever really go away, but I guess it's the kind of thing someone should know about now. And if I'm being honest, I'd rather it be you. Finn worries too much and, well, he has enough to worry about with Rose," she paused her ramblings to break her stare, turning to the _Falcon_ 's console she was getting more and more familiar with.

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you trust me." He reached out to rest his hand on her forearm. Her attention snapped back to him at the touch, resting her own hand over his. Poe had to remind himself to focus on anything else so he could still listen if she needed him to. Rey squeezed his hand, clearly able to read him yet again.

"Of course I trust you, Poe. More than you trust yourself, I think." She lifted his hand a bit, lacing her fingers through his. He was failing at this. She was deliberately rendering him speechless - it was written in her intense hazel stare. She was right, his own feelings had given him away. She had the upper hand in this one. He just needed her to answer one question.

"Why did you decide it was easier to pretend to be weakened or injured than to just _talk to me_?" Rey laughed, running her thumb over the side of his hand, making his stomach do flips. He did his best to keep his eyes locked on hers, feeding off of her boldness.

"Remember when you walked out of that cave to see me using the Force? I remember your face and how you looked at me. Coming out of the Force bond to see you felt a little like I imagine that must have felt. And I just wanted to be close to you." She looked away and stared down at their interlocked hands, not meeting his gaze while she chewed on her lip. That adorable habit of hers again. He leaned across the space between their seats and lifted her chin with his free hand, running his thumb across her cheek gently.

"You said you could sense my admiration of you, how having you near me affected me in the racer. You told me not too long ago that a person's feelings buzz in the air around them and that you can practically hear it. Do you really think you would have needed an excuse to be close to me?" She gave him that same small smile from when he'd introduced himself to her, still chewing on her lip.

"I guess I didn't think about it that way." Rey tugged on their joined hands so he was closer to her, kissing him and surprising him yet again. Poe hadn't even had time to process what was happening before she'd pulled back slightly, her breath still warm against his lips. "By the way, if I'd been flying my own ship, there's no way you would have beat me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahhhhhhh I still don't have any excuse for this. It just happened. Hope you like it!
> 
> But hey! I finished!

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah so this got away from me and I'm posting it in two parts because the word count JUST KEPT GOING. I don't know. I don't have an excuse. It took on a life of it's own and I was already committed. 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @brittinnistudio331pro.


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